Care home in special measures amid safety concerns

The home provides care for up to 36 people, some of whom have dementia

A care home has been placed in special measures after being rated inadequate by a watchdog.

Meadows Nursing Home in Bromsgrove "failed to make the environment safe for people to live in", according to Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors.

It said risks to patients were not managed as "chemicals weren’t always locked away" and "hot surfaces weren’t covered".

The BBC has approached the care home for comment.

The CQC visited the home in February, prompted by concerns raised about the management and safety of the service.

The home, which is run by Southern CC Limited, provides personal and nursing care to a maximum of 36 older people, some whom are living with dementia.

'Risk of further harm'

Craig Howarth, the CQC's deputy director of operations in the Midlands, said issues found at the last inspection "hadn’t been addressed [and] little action had been taken to make improvements we told them to, to make it a safe place for people to live."

"The safeguarding policy wasn’t always followed, and the provider didn’t always notify the CQC and the local authority when incidents occurred," he said.

"The provider didn’t inform us about people’s unexplained bruising and skin damage which could put people at risk of further harm."

The CQC said it was concerning that staff did not always take people’s individual preferences into account, adding that staff "didn’t always treat people with compassion and kindness."

As a result of being in special measures the home will be kept under close review before being re-inspected.